Improvement in paper-collar machines



UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

HENRY F. KNAPP, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PAPER-COLLAR MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,410, dated November 6, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. KNAPP, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Making Collars, Cuffs, Wristbands, and other like articles from paper or paper cloth, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being l had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specication, and in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of a machine adapted to the making of collars from paper or paper cloth with my `improvement applied to it. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken transversely to the former figure; Fig. 3, a plan of the feed-roller and punching and cutting table portion of the machine; and Fig. 4, an inverted plan of theplaten, with its knives or cutters.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures.

The machine to which my improvements are applied has for its object the manufacture of shirt-collars, cuffs, wristbands, and other like articles from paper or paper cloth,it only being necessary to change the configuration of the die or impressing-roller and general shape and disposition of the punches and knives or cutters, or some of these devices, to adapt it to the production of either of such articles. It will suffice, however, to describe it as arranged for the manufacture of paper collars; and the nature of my invention consists in the employment of intersecting knives for making the longitudinal and cross cuts in the roll or sheet of paper that gives to the collar or other article its desired shape, the same acting in combination with sliding sections to the cutter-block, to permit of the cross-knives intersecting the longitudinal cutter, and whereby the article cut is prevented hanging to the sheet; also, in creasing and embossing the collar or other article by the intermittent feedrollers, of which there may be two or more, and which convey the sheet to the cuttingblock; and,likewise, in a combination of an intermittently driving, though constantly moving, endless strap or belt and stop-motion for operating the feed-rollers, or one of them,that conduct and regulate the feed of the sheet.

To enable others skilled in such contrivances to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- A A are the feed-rollers, through which passes the roll or sheet it is designed to cut a series of collars from in succession. These rollers are arranged across the front or one side of the machine, and the one of them-say the upper roller, A-has projecting from its face one, two, or more creasing-strips, a, and a corresponding number of embossing-strips or formers, b, the iirst for making or establishing the crease in the collar in the line in which it is to be folded or turned over, and the last for embossing the face of the collar with the usual imitation stitching near the upper edge and ends of the collar. The feed is given to these rollers by an endless strap or belt, B, passing round a pulley on the shaft of the markingroller A, and round a pulley, c, on a drivingshaft, S, which is carried bythe upper portion of the frame G of the machine, the bottom or foundation D of which carries the bed, cutting-block, and brackets that support the feed-rollers.

To arrest the motion of the feed-rollers after they have given the necessary advance to the sheet creased and embossed by themthat is, after they have fed the sheet the width of a collarv each intermittent movement-in order to secure a timely after-action on the sheet of the punches and cutters for button-holing and cutting out the collars, it is necessary that the constantly-movin g endless belt B should at intervals slip on one of its pulleys and the feed-roller driven by it be locked from turning. To eifect this I secure to the end of the roller A a stop-disk, E, with projections or teeth on or notches in its periphery at distances apart corresponding to one collar-feed of the rollers, and hang to the frame of the machine a drop catch-lever, F, which, when down, arrests the motion of the roller A, and causes the endless belt B to slip on its pulley by a lip of said lever biting on or over a tooth on the disk E. This occurs at intervals-that is, at each collar-feed of the sheet-to give, as previously referred to, the necessary pause for the after operations that iinish the collar.

When the time, however,has arrived to give another feed, the catch-levenF is raised out of gear or restraining hold'on the disk E by a projection or pin, d, on the driving-shaft S acting on a strap, e, of a lifting-rod, G, attached to said lever, when the belt, ceasing from slipping, again drives the marking-roller till on the arrival a-t the stopping-point of a succeeding tooth on the disk, which is caught by the catch-lever dropping, and the belt again made to slip.

This motion I prefer to a ratchet-feed of the roller or rollers, as there are difficulties in establishing a long ratchet-feed; but, if desired, a ratchet or any other feed may be substituted. Also, while I prefer, it is not absolutely essential, that the creasing and embossing operations should be performed by one of the feed-rollers, as the same may be done by the action of the platen that punches the button-holes and operates the cutters, as in the machine described in Letters Patent No. 54,561 of the United States, granted to me for an improvement in machines for making paper collars.

Pursuing the description of the machine here represented, however, further, the sheet of creased and embossed paper, passed on to a table or bed, H, in rear of the feed-rollers, is next subjected to the action of the platen I, which has a vertical reciprocating action given it, say, by means of an eccentric, f, on the driving-shaft S, said eccentric operating a rod, g, that is attached to a slide,- h, which Works in ways in the upright frame C and carries the platen. On the under side of the platen are the punches i, which, in the descent of the platen, punch out the button-holes in the collar, said punches entering, underneath the sheet, holes or dies j in the, cutter-block J on the bed or table H. This cutter-block may either besin gle or divided, and, if divided, adjustable or otherwise,the adjustability of or provision for changing the cutters and regulation of the punches to suit different sizes of collars being optional, and not an indispensable feature of .this my invention. Said cutter-block is shown here, however, as xed and entire, and as serving both the longitudinal and end or cross cutters, being formed at its ends with cutting-edges 7c corresponding to the desired shape it is required to give the ends of the collar, the greatest distance apart between said opposite cutting-edges, corresponding to the longest line of the collar, being in the rear, and said cuttingedges being extended backward beyond the required depth or width of 'the collar, so as to establish a cut into the waste portion of the sheet across an imaginary extension at either end of the line forming the shortest longitudinal line of the succeeding collar, the object of which will be hereinafter explained.

The upper or movin g end cutters, K, attached to the platen, are similarly extended in their rear and correspond in form to the end cutting-edges of the block J, but differ therefrom in sloping upward from back to front, so as to establish a gradual and shear out with the edges 7c of the block. These moving end cutters, K, are also extended at their front and raised ends, so as to intersect the line of travel of the longitudinal cutter L, by said ends projecting into or through openings l in said last-named cutter, and in their descent cause to open the front cutting-edge, m, of the block J, so that they may intersect the cutting-line of the longitudinal knife L, which action, in conjunction with the back extension of said end cutters, effectually prevents all hanging of the paper or collar at itscorners to the sheet, whereby the collars are delivered clean cut and free, or perfectly detached from each other, in succession each descent of the longitudinal knife.

The latter-named cutter, L, which is also attached to the platen, is of arched or curvilinear form, as represented in Fig. l, to likewise produce a shear-cut, and is extended at either end beyond the required length of the collar, such extended ends being slightly sprung outward, as represented in Fig. 4, to prevent the riding of the knife in its descent on the cutter-block.

To enable the front ends of the cross-cutters K to intersect the line of cut of the lon gitudinal knife L, the extended ends a of the block J, in continuation of the edges m, are hung so as to be capable of sliding outward by and during the descent of the front ends of the springs o in the ascent of said cutters.

In the operation of the platen, the end cutters, K, in descending iirst act upon the sheet, shearing it from their rear and lowest ends. Then the longitudinal knife L commences to cut from its ends; but before the latter finishes its cut in the center the front and raised ends of the cross-cutters K, separating the sliding end extensions of the cutting-block toward and at the close of the descent of the platen, intersect the line of cut of the longitudinal knife L, and so, Without cutting into the adjoining collar, eifectually detach each collar from its succeeding one. The punches t" pierce the sheet to make the button-holes during the descent of the knives, say, toward the close of their cutting-stroke.

What I claim as new and useful,and desire to secure by LettersvPatent, is

l. The combination, with their cutting block or blocks, of a longitudinal knife or cutter, L,

simultaneous or joint descent to intersect each the one knife or set of cutters to traverse through or across the cutting-edge of the other cutter, substantially as and for the purpose or purposes specified. 2. The combination, with the intersecting 'knives or cutters L and K,of a section cutting-block, J, the end of sections fn, of which are made to yield or slide, and whereby, while an unbroken or closed cutting-edge is given to the longitudinal knife, a passage for the established, essentially as specified.

cross-cutters, and are forced inward again by and cross or end cutters, K, arranged in their v other in their line or lines of cut, by making end or cross-cut knives into or through it isv 3. The arrangement, on an intermittentlyrota-ting feed-roller, A, of creasing and embossing` strips a and b, in'combination with a cutter or cutters for afterward shaping1 and detaching the article creased or embossed, or either, essentially as herein set forth.

4. The combination ofthe toothed or notched disk E on the feed-roller A, drop catch-lever F,

lifted at intervals, as described, and constantlytraveling endless belt or strap B,for giving an intermittently rotating movement to the said feed-roller, substantially as specified.

HENRY F. KNAPP. Witnesses:

J. W. CooMBs, G. W. REED. 

